Rubber heel



March 2 1926. 1,575,313

E. G. 'BLOSER RUBBER fiEEL Filed May '7. 1923 wW w Patented Mar, 2, 1926.

NITED STATd arsn'r Fries.

RUBBER To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD G. BLosne, a citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented new and in preventing the slipping of a rubber heel.'

It is a further object ofthis invention to provide a rubber heel with a cavity of sub-- stantial size, and such as may serve, by inter fitting with irregularities in the surface of the ground traversed, mechanically to prevent slipping.

It is a further object of this invention to so reduce the contact surface of a rubber heel with the ground traversed that the marginal portions about a central vacuum cup may be capable of forming a shght depression in ground traversed, thereby preventing slippage.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a rubber heel of the character referred to which may be so formed on its upper surface as to facilitate a satisfactory lit upon the bottom of a shoe to which it is to be attached.

Broadly, it is an object of this invention to provide a heel within which may be incorporated any desired reinforcement, which may be easily attached in a usual manner, and which shall be especially suitable for use upon tennis shoes, or hiking shoes, or other shoes for the use of athletes, but which shall also be suitable for general use wherever a rubber heel is desired.

Other objects of my invention will appear from the following descripition of a preferred embodiment thereof, and the appended claim, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which- Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a shoe providedwith a rubber heel of my preferred design, this heel being shown partly in section.

Fig. 2 isa transverse section of a heel of my preferred design, the introduction of reinforcement, as indicated by dotted lines, being optional.

Fig. 3 is a bottom view, and

Fig. f is a side View of the form of heel shown in Fig. 2.

Application filed May 7, 1923. Serial No. 637,271.

In the form of my invention which I have chosen for illustration, it will be understood that -1 may be a suitably molded mass of rubber or equivalent material'con stituting the body of. the heel, this heel being provided with a circular arched depression or vacuum cup 2 in the bottom thereof, and provided with a reinforcing element 3, which may be of canvas or other suitable material, and also with apertures 4, adapted to receive the nails by which the heel may be secured, provision for the countersinking of the heads of the nails being made in the manner indicated at 6, and washers 7 for the better securing of the said nails being inserted in advance of the vulcanization of the said heel.

I prefer to so form a heel of the character described that it shall snugly fit the bottom of a shoe to which it may be applied, and for this purpose I may so mold the heel to form two flat lateral halves of the attaching face oppositely inclined to the lon gitudinal line 8, as best shown in Fig. 2.

By the foregoing construction it will be obvious that, when a rubber heel of the character described is properly applied to the bottom of a shoe, and thereby suitably flattened, a-cup formed of resilient material, and adapted to produce a suctlon relatlve to any smooth surface, such as the surface of stantially half the transverse width of the heel, in order to attain the objects indicated above. It being well known that rubber soles or heels are especially liable to slip upon a wet stone or concrete or metallic sur face, it will be understood that, when the wearer of a shoe provided with a heel of my preferred design is traversingsuch a surface, the first effectof a contact between a heel of this design and a surface of the character referred to must be the pressing of air from Within a cup; and this escape of air, producing a suction effect, tends to secure the heel to the pavement and thereby diminish the risk of a dangerous fall. Although the area of the suction cup 2 may vary within wide limits, I find it'preferable to so form this cup that its area shall be not less than approximately one-fourth the area of the bottom of the heel.

Although I have described one preferred form of my invention, it will be understood that various modifications of the same are possible Without a departure from the spirit and scope of this intention the same is indicated above and in the following claim; and although I prefer to use the inclined upper faces forming a line 8 together with the vacuum cup 2, it will be understood that the features of construction referred to are capable of either separate or conjoint use.

I find a substantially circular central vacuumcup to be more effective than an aperture having angles, and it should also be understeod that although in the use of my rubber heel I prefer to secure the same initially by nailing it approximately in the median line, as through the holes N, N,

thereby slightly flattening the heel and as suring a tight fit at its edges, my novel heel may optionally be secured in any other usual or desired manner.

Vhat I claim is A rubber. heel having two lateral halves with parallel faces, oppositely inclined with the top surfaces meeting at a longitudinal center line at an angle, a U-shaped flexible fabric reinforcing member following the side and back contour of the heel the reinforcing member being inserted parallel with the flat surfaces of the heel, Washers imbedded in the heel adjacent the reinforcing member; securing means passing through the Washers and reinfo'i'cingmember, and a single'vaouum cup on the botton'i face ofjthe heel situated Within the U-shaped reinforcingmember.

In t'e'stnnonyvvhereof I have signed my name to thls specification.

EDWARD G BLosER. 

